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Bolivian agricultural sector issues ultimatum over diesel price decree
🇧🇴 Bolivia /Economy & Trade

Bolivian agricultural sector issues ultimatum over diesel price decree

From El Deber · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Bolivia's agricultural sector demands the repeal of Supreme Decree 5676, which impacts diesel prices for large consumers.
  • The sector has given the government until Sunday to comply, threatening further action if the decree is not abrogated.
  • The government argues that repealing the decree will not solve the underlying diesel shortage issue.

Bolivia's agricultural sector has issued an ultimatum to the government, demanding the immediate repeal of Supreme Decree 5676, which has set diesel prices at Bs 18 per liter for large consumers. The Chamber of Eastern Agriculture (CAO) congress, held in Warnes and including representatives from across the country, resolved to give the government until Sunday to revoke the decree.

If the government fails to comply by the deadline, the agricultural leadership plans to approach the Comité pro Santa Cruz on Monday. They intend to request the convocation of an Assembly of the Cruceñidad, a regional body that could then decide on further measures of pressure. This stance marks an escalation by the productive sector, which has previously warned of mobilizations and now seeks to broaden its protest against the so-called “dieselazo” into a regional and potentially national movement.

Klaus Frerking, president of the CAO, stated that the sector rejects any partial modification of the decree and insists on conditions that allow for continued production. "If the decree is not abrogated by Sunday, we will appear before our Comité pro Santa Cruz on Monday to ask for an Assembly of the Cruceñidad," he affirmed.

If the decree is not abrogated by Sunday, we will appear before our Comité pro Santa Cruz on Monday to ask for an Assembly of the Cruceñidad.

— Klaus FrerkingPresident of the CAO, outlining the sector's next steps if demands are not met.

Minister of Productive Development, Rural Affairs, and Water, Óscar Mario Justiniano, attended the congress and presented the Executive's position. He argued that abrogating the decree would not resolve the fundamental issue of diesel scarcity. The government's perspective is that the problem is structural, stemming from Bolivia's need to import large volumes of diesel and insufficient domestic production, and that merely changing the regulation will not alleviate the shortage.

Meanwhile, other sectors are also applying pressure. Mayors from various municipalities have urged the government to repeal the decree and have proposed alternative solutions, including revising fuel import models and exploring crude oil imports to utilize national refineries. In Santa Cruz, peasant and productive organizations are also preparing a large peaceful march to defend the popular economy, with anticipated participation from agro-producers, peasants, indigenous, and intercultural groups.

Let's change the decree number, let's abrogate the decree, the result will be exactly the same: there will be no diesel.

— Óscar Mario JustinianoMinister of Productive Development, Rural Affairs, and Water, explaining the government's stance on the decree's impact.
About this summary

Originally published by El Deber in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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